Driftwood Beach is another place I saw mentioned a lot during my initial research that I didn't get to see last time. It's located at the northern end of the island and can be accessed via the Clam Creek Picnic Area.

I decided to check the place out and headed to the Clam Creek Picnic Area. A great view of the Sidney Lanier Bridge greeted me as I arrived.

I visited the Clam Creek Picnic Area and took a walk on the Jekyll Island Pier last Christmas. I had heard about Driftwood Beach, but didn't realize at the time exactly where it was or that I was literally right next to the northern end of it.

The walking trail that leads to the beach is accessed at the base of the Jekyll Island Pier.

The northern end of Driftwood Beach is a short walk from the pier.

I made my way to the North Loop Trail access point near the pier.

Beach access is at the other end of the foot bridge across Clam Creek. Looking inland from the bridge offers a great view of Clam Creek and the marsh.

I also had a great view of the Jekyll Island Pier from the bridge.

Looking at photos of the beach and the photo above of the bridge, it's clear that this is another beach area that disappears with high tide.

The water line can be seen on the bridge posts. This has caused an interesting sudden drop-off to appear in the sand.

Clam Creek as it flows under the North Loop Trail bridge.

I diverted from the bridge and North Loop Trail down onto the beach and began hearing air traffic overhead.

I turned the camera dial to the "sports" setting and tried to zoom in.

Zooming in on overhead air traffic is one thing that this camera does very well.

The name "Driftwood Beach" is a reference to the dead trees strewn about due to the tide and ocean currents.

At some point in the past, this part of the island was covered in large Live Oak trees.

My understanding is that the strong ocean currents have been slowly eroding away at the northern end of the island and depositing it at the southern end.

When enough of the ground around a tree is eroded, the tree will die and eventually fall over.

The tide and strong ocean currents pick up the dead trees and deposit them elsewhere. A lot of the trees seem to stay close by. Others can travel long distances, (like the tree at the Days Inn where I'm staying).

Some of the dead trees are huge !

Looking back at the Jekyll Island Pier.

Some of the locals gathered on the beach.

I managed to get a good shot of someone coming in for a landing.

Just like at the St. Andrews Picnic Area, I happened upon a spot where water was flowing from the island creating a small creek. This one wasn't very deep at all which made crossing it pretty easy for my uncoordinated self.

While not particularly cold, it was quite windy today.

The effect with loose sand being blown about caused by the strong wind was pretty cool.

More overhead air traffic.

The St. Simons Island Light Station was visible from here.

Also visible were all of the beachfront apartments and condominium complexes.

The flag seen in the photos above and below is part of the Sea Island Golf Club.

Flag at the Sea Island Golf Club.

Looking north toward St. Simons Island.

Sea foam along the beach.

I continued my walk along the beach checking out more of the tree graveyard. The scene was actually quite picturesque.

This scenery is the reason why Driftwood Beach has become not only the most photographed location on the island, but also a very popular spot for weddings.

The grade school kid in me wanted to climb all over the large trees.

My mind was quick to remind me that unlike the grade school kid from the 1970s, 50-year-old Todd is not nearly as athletic or graceful as he once was many years ago. Better judgement prevailed.

So here I am raving about my walk along Driftwood Beach and how wonderful it was, which is definitely true. The ironic thing about that is that I would later discover that I wasn't where I thought I was.

Technically, Driftwood Beach extends from the Clam Creek Fishing Pier to the Villas By the Sea Resort, making it roughly 2 miles in total length. Access points are available at both of those locations as well as several other points along Beachview Drive. So technically, I was on Driftwood Beach. And the scenery around me seemed to confirm that.

But as I researched Driftwood Beach further, I discovered that the picturesque tree graveyard that is the most photographed location on the island is actually much closer to the Villas By the Sea Resort than where I was today.

While this location was beautiful, it isn't the exact location of what everyone knows as "Driftwood Beach."

I would need to walk about 1 mile south as seen in the photo above to get the full effect.

I would eventually get there, but not during this trip, which was fine. I've said many times that Jekyll Island has become my favorite place on earth at the moment. This means I'll definitely be back to check it out further.